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Monday, March 7, 2011

Serious Games New Capability: Visual Purple’s Hybrid Sims

Serious Games challenging us to play a better future

IntroductionVisual Purple introduces Hybrid Simulations and has just gone live on a new website http://www.visualpurple.com/This new term that Visual Purple has coined aims at encompassing the best elements of the traditional Decision-Based/ Serious Games and virtual worlds. This new type of training is proven through use in the U.S. government and is now available to include non-government clients as of 201.

Users are free to make choices within limits that serve the educational goals by restricting activities to decision options that either educate or train. Inefficiencies (such as the need to “walk” from place to place) are minimized or eliminated. The Virtual World elements provide a carefully crafted balance between guidance and unlimited freedom of choice to the player.According to the company website, though rich in story and content, production time and costs are averaging 30-50% less than decision-based simulations. Updating and deployment is easy through standard Learning Management Systems (LMS) with a lower cost to acquire and maintain than most conventional Computer Based Training (CBT).HERE IS THE FULL PRESS RELEASE San Luis Obispo, CA –October 7, 2010–Visual Purple is proud to introduce a new training capability: Hybrid Simulations where the best elements of Decision-Based Sims with the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of Virtual Worlds are combined. Decision-Based Simulations are great except when it comes to expanding the world or making rapid changes in a cost-effective manner. Virtual Worlds make it easy to expand or update but often fall short when it comes to perceptions that trainees won’t stay on task. We’ve learned through experience that many clients are looking for something beyond the perennially popular decision-based simulation, but aren’t quite sold on virtual worlds, mostly because of the negative perceptions associated with Second Life based worlds. Working with select clients over the past 18 months, Visual Purple has created a successful new approach and began delivering Hybrid Sims earlier this year – marrying the best of both vehicles. These interactive, decision-based virtual environment simulations, perform exceptionally well and are produced quicker (in a few months) and at lower cost. These 3D animated simulations are custom built and the scenarios play out in a private virtual world. Some advantages that these custom-built simulations present are: Increased immersion, interactivity, layered decision-making, and feedback to the user (just to name a few). And perhaps the biggest advantage of all is that this hybrid vWorld-DB simulation is able to run in a browser!Hybrid Simulations also bring their own ‘tool kit’ if you will, which includes the following: Idea Generating Tools designed to break current, routine thinking patterns and encourage thinking beyond the status quo through the use of provocation and challenge; Focus Tools designed to broaden where, and from whom, students search for new ideas; Treatment Tools that are designed to consider real-world constraints, available resources, and other means of support; and Harvest Tools that are designed to maximize value received from idea generating output. About Visual Purple, LLC

Visual Purpleis an industry leader in advanced simulations and technologies throughout the Virtual World, Embedded and Decision-Based training sectors. The Company’s core technologies allow for the rapid development of training objectives within its simulations through a collection of 3D elements, videos, and other high-fidelity content. Visual Purple training solutions allow for the most complex training missions in a manner that is cost and time efficient for the organization and enjoyable and effective for the trainee. Training packages are designed to accelerate the ability of corporate and government employees to master complicated material and increase performance in making appropriate work-related decisions. Visual Purple, LLC is certified on the Central Contractor Registration database as a Women-Owned Small Business.